The 3,200-hp catamaran WindServe Odyssey left Senesco Marine in Rhode Island around Labor Day. The vessel has a short-term contract supporting the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project near Virginia Beach. The 20-passenger vessel designed by BMT Group is just the second of its kind in the United States.
WindServe Odyssey is purpose-built to carry technicians and equipment to and from offshore wind turbines. It is outfitted to make these voyages as quiet and comfortable as possible for the people on board. It can hit 28 knots and will cruise at roughly 25. At that speed, the passenger cabin will be no louder than a household dishwasher.
But as WindServe Managing Director Josh Diedrich noted, the 64.9-foot vessel is capable of more than just crew transfers. It is designed to hold 10-foot containers on the fore and aft decks, expanding the cargo capacity of a traditional CTV. It is outfitted for off-ship refueling and can perform seafloor surveys and other oceanographic work in support of future wind power development. “Our main purpose and goal was to build a multipurpose offshore support vessel,” he said in a recent interview. “For us it opens up our capacity for work, and we can fulfill more of the client’s needs.”
Offshore wind power provides a sizable chunk of Europe’s electricity while employing many thousands of people, including many mariners. As of 2019, there were more than 5,000 turbines operating in waters off 12 European countries. Those towers generate enough power for more than 8 million homes, according to WindEurope.
This story is from the Annual American Ship Review 2021 edition of Professional Mariner.
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This story is from the Annual American Ship Review 2021 edition of Professional Mariner.
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